New Brunswick’s lieutenant-governor cannot be unilingual, the province’s Court of Queen’s Bench ruled Thursday. It is therefore a setback for the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, who appointed Brenda Murphy in 2019.
According to the Court, she does not have the language skills to adequately perform her duties.
This appointment therefore violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It was the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick (SANB) that challenged the appointment of Ms. Murphy, who does not speak French, in court.
The Court does not, however, overturn the Order in Council appointing her to the position, because such a judgment would be likely to invalidate all the laws adopted since 2019, she writes.
Further details will follow.
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